Blue Jays: Part 2 – Examining potential pitching trade targets

Toronto Blue Jays acquire: RHP Kevin Gausman (1.8)                                                                              (1.8)

San Francisco Giants acquire: 1 of the following players:

SS Leonardo Jimenez (2.9); SS Otto Lopez (2.6); RHP Tom Hatch (2.0); SS Kevin Smith (1.0); RHP Jacob Waguespack (0.6)

Similar to the Scherzer trade mentioned last slide, a trade deadline deal for pitcher Kevin Gausman could be in the works if the chips all align come July.

A pitcher the Blue Jays were keen on from the beginning of free agency, starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was reportedly offered a three year contract by the Jays worth around $40 million. He would eventually sign the qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants and will return there on the one-year deal. While the guaranteed money was there from the Blue Jays, Gausman appears to be betting on a successful 2021 campaign to try and garner a bigger payday during free agency next off-season when he won’t have the qualifying offer attached to his name. For his career, Gausman boasts a 4.26 ERA with 934 strikeouts and a 1.329 WHIP over 203 appearances (164 starts).

Compared to the other scenarios, Gausman isn’t one of the flashier options the Blue Jays could trade for this upcoming campaign. Coming off one of his better yet shortened statistical seasons, Gausman would be the veteran pitcher who adds more value to the Blue Jays rotation than the likes of some of the options towards the back end of the rotation. His role is to be a solid and dependable pitcher who won’t blow you away with 7-8 shutout innings but will keep the game close and give your bullpen a chance to keep the team in the game.

For the Giants, they would most likely be seeing a one for one deal similar to the trades the Blue Jays made last season for Jonathan Villar and Robbie Ray. In this scenario, there are a few different options who would/could be available in terms of trade value.

The Blue Jays could chose to trade a fringe starter like Tom Hatch or Jacob Waguespack who might not be on the active roster to begin the season but both could be used either as a starter or a reliever further along their careers. Alternatively, the Blue Jays could chose to trade an infield prospect like Otto Lopez or Leonardo Jimenez while still retaining other infield prospects Orelvis Martinez, Miguel Hiraldo, Estiven Machado, and Rikelvin de Castro. With the Blue Jays having an influx of infield talent, they could choose to take this route to acquire Gausman instead of dealing a fringe starter.

Conclusion

While he may not be the ‘big’ acquisiton compared to the likes of Sonny Gray or Max Scherzer, trading for Kevin Gausman could be a low risk trade that could provide another solid option in the rotation behind Hyun-Jin Ryu.

This trade only makes sense if:

1. Kevin Gausman puts up numbers similar to last season or like in 2016
2. If the Blue Jays do not sign Jake Odorizzi
3. If Tanner Roark can pitch below a 4.00 ERA

If the Blue Jays do in fact sign Jake Odorizzi in spring training or Tanner Roark pitches like the $12 million player he was signed to be, then they won’t need Gausman as both pitchers kind of fill the similar role if they are playing well. There are obviously a few ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in this trade scenario, but if Gausman is pitching like he was in 2020 (over the whole season), then adding him to the rotation will be an addition that could provide the stability needed during the final stretch of the season if Odorizzi is pitching elsewhere and Roark is throwing meatballs down the plate.